The present invention relates to shelving and particularly to a method and structure for holding parts of a shelving system together. More particularly, the present invention relates to the connection between a cross brace or shelf and a vertical support column of a shelving frame.
Conventional shelving systems include frame systems that support a plurality of horizontally spaced shelves. Typically, the frames of the shelving systems include vertical support members or columns connected by horizontal cross braces. In conventional systems, a plurality of horizontal cross braces are permanently coupled between two vertical support columns at various heights along the columns. In a typical system, shelves are often secured to some of the permanently affixed cross braces. The cross braces provide front-to-back rigidity to the system and the shelves secured to the cross braces provide side-to-side, or lateral, rigidity. Additionally, a plurality of adjustable clips can be moveably positioned at various heights along the vertical support columns to support shelves at any desired location within the frame. However, shelves supported by conventional adjustable clips add little, if any, rigidity to the system.
In a conventional shelving system, the permanently-affixed cross braces are necessary to give the shelving system sufficient rigidity. In particular, some states require certain rigidity levels to meet seismic requirements. However, horizontal cross braces may be positioned at inconvenient locations along the height of the vertical support members for some end users. A cross brace's location may not precisely correspond to a location at which an end user desires to position a shelf. As a result, an end user may want to remove a shelf from a permanently affixed cross brace if a shelf at that location is not desired. This may compromise the structural integrity of the shelving system.